Charles Leclerc views Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix as key problem for Ferrari’s brake cooling repair
Grand Prix is being seen inside Ferrari as a real “acid take a look at” that can reveal whether or not the crew’s newest technical upgrades are actually efficient.
Ferrari’s race in Austin marked a return to type after a number of troublesome weekends. Charles Leclerc lastly climbed again onto the rostrum for the primary time in six rounds, securing a well-deserved third place. His teammate Lewis Hamilton additionally loved his greatest lead to seven races, crossing the end line in fourth and heading off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by simply 1.142 seconds. The efficiency advised a step ahead for the Scuderia, but in addition highlighted areas nonetheless in want of enchancment.
Earlier than the race, Charles Leclerc had expressed some apprehension about beginning on the mushy tyre compound. Ferrari’s strategists had made the decision believing it might give him the very best likelihood to assault McLaren’s Lando Norris off the road. The selection paid off initially, as Leclerc managed to problem Norris early on, though the British driver finally regained second place on lap 51 of 56 when Charles Leclerc’s medium tyres started to degrade.
From the Circuit of the Americas, Ferrari instantly travelled to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez for spherical 20 of the 2025 Method 1 season. The crew is aware of the Mexican race presents a novel technical problem on account of its altitude and demanding format. It additionally marks precisely one 12 months since Ferrari’s final Grand Prix victory — Carlos Sainz’s triumph on the 2024 Mexico Metropolis GP — making the occasion a symbolic take a look at of progress for the Italian crew.
Ferrari prepares for an “acid take a look at” of its new braking resolution
Ferrari will deliver a modified braking system to the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, designed to deal with the recurring overheating points which have plagued the SF-25 in current races. The modifications come after Lewis Hamilton’s front-left brake failure late within the Singapore Grand Prix, a problem that value him over 51 seconds to Fernando Alonso between laps 59 and 62 as he struggled to deliver the automobile dwelling.
Charles Leclerc additionally confronted brake administration issues in Singapore, being pressured to elevate and coast from as early as lap seven to forestall overheating. Because of this, he has reportedly described the Mexico weekend as a decisive take a look at of Ferrari’s quick-fix resolution. If it performs nicely underneath the intense circumstances of Mexico Metropolis, it might show that the crew’s engineers have efficiently resolved one in all their most persistent weaknesses.
Charles Leclerc identified that aerodynamic tuning in Mexico is especially advanced as a result of circuit’s elevation, which sits over 2,200 metres above sea stage. He defined that due to the thinner air, the brakes are underneath super pressure all through the lap, working close to their limits for a lot of the race distance. Ferrari’s engineers have due to this fact launched refined however essential modifications within the brake ducts and cooling methods in hopes of sustaining secure temperatures.
The Monegasque driver believes that Mexico’s circumstances will present a transparent indication of whether or not Ferrari has made real progress. Internally, the Scuderia sees this as a benchmark occasion that might outline the subsequent section of their season.
The very best-altitude race of the 2025 Method 1 calendar
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez is not like some other circuit on the F1 calendar. Situated at 2,240 metres (7,349 toes) above sea stage, it’s the highest-altitude race of the 2025 season. Compared, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos takes place at an altitude of simply 780 metres (2,559 toes), making Mexico Metropolis’s circumstances uniquely difficult.
The skinny air has a major impact on each facet of an F1 automobile’s efficiency. With decrease air density, aerodynamic effectivity is drastically diminished, forcing groups to run high-downforce configurations to generate sufficient grip. That is counterintuitive, contemplating that the Mexico circuit additionally options one of many longest straights of the season — the 1,270-metre pit straight — the place drag discount would usually be a precedence.
Cooling is one other main concern. Due to the diminished oxygen ranges, airflow by way of radiators, brake ducts, and different cooling parts is much less efficient. To compensate, groups usually enlarge openings within the bodywork and make aggressive changes to take care of protected working temperatures. Ferrari, nevertheless, has taken issues a step additional by introducing new brake parts particularly designed to keep away from a repeat of the overheating issues that struck each automobiles in Singapore.
Studying from Singapore and searching forward
At Marina Bay, Ferrari’s engineers admitted they’d gone too far in pushing for aerodynamic effectivity, resulting in inadequate airflow by way of the brake ducts. The ensuing overheating compromised each Leclerc and Hamilton all through the race. Since then, the crew has analysed its information to know precisely the place its calculations went improper, revising each the automobile’s setup philosophy and element design.
The Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix will due to this fact serve not solely as a efficiency take a look at but in addition as a reliability test underneath excessive thermal and aerodynamic stress. The circumstances at altitude will amplify any weaknesses within the SF-25’s cooling methods, braking supplies, or aerodynamic stability. A clear race for each drivers would affirm that Ferrari’s modifications are working and that the crew can transfer ahead confidently into the ultimate stretch of the season.
For Charles Leclerc, the upcoming race represents a possibility to consolidate his type after returning to the rostrum. For Lewis Hamilton, it’s one other likelihood to construct momentum and shut in on his first top-three end for Ferrari — a outcome that continues to elude him regardless of a number of promising weekends.
Ferrari enters the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix conscious that the skinny air, excessive temperatures, and heavy braking zones might expose any remaining weaknesses. But when their revised cooling bundle performs as meant, it might mark a turning level of their 2025 marketing campaign — remodeling what has been a 12 months of combined fortunes right into a basis for renewed competitiveness.
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